Process of conditioning commodities



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F. J. REILLY md May 9, 1940 PROCESS 0F CONDITIONING COMMODITIES Oct. 20, P42.

Ot. 20,A 1942. F. J. REILLY 2,299,177 ff PROCESS 0F CONDITIONING COMMODITIES Filed nay 9, 1940 2 sheets-sheet 2 meme oeezo, 1942 UNITED STATESl PATENT OFFICE PROCESS OF CONDITIONING COMIVIODITIES Frank J. Reilly, Orlando, Fla., assignor to General American Precooling Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application May 9, 1940, Serial No. 334,284

Claims.

This invention relates to the conditioning of commodities in compartments, and more especially to a method and apparatus for cooling commodities in vehicles, such as railroad cars and trucks, and maintaining dehydration of such products at a minimum during 'such cooling. This process nds particular application when pre-cooling vehicles, preparatory to transit, containing perishable materials, such as peas, lettuce, cauliflower, spinach, cabbage, celery, es carole, and other leafy vegetables. Although this invention may be used to cool commodities in any` suitable enclosure, it will be described in connection with an ordinary railroad car of the refrigerator type.

Hitherto, in pre-cooling loaded cars preparatory to shipment, a blast of chilled air has been injected into the car to lower the temperature of the perishable lading. Ordinarily this air is chilled by passing it over refrigerator coils to lower its temperature. These coils are located outside of the car, and the chilled air is then introduced to the car, passed through the lading, and then recirculated over the coils. The chilling step, of course, reduces the saturation point of the air, and consequently the excess moisture is `condensed out of the air during this step of the cycle.

However, after the air has passed the coils, and especially when it comes into contact with the vegetables, the temperature of the air rises. With this rise in temperature, there is the corresponding increase in the saturation point of the air and 'the resulting tendency for the air to extract moisture from the vegetables. Such dehydration, of course, materially detracts from the marketability of the produce.

One of the objects of this invention is to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.

Another object of this invention is to provide a. method and apparatus for reducing the temperature of the interior of an enclosure containing a perishable lading with aminimum of dehydration of the lading.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for reducing the temperature of a vehicle containing a perishable lading by directing a stream of chilled air through the lading, and at the same time aspirating a liquid into the stream of chilled air.

A further object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for reducing the temperature of a vehicle containing a perishable ladthe lading and maintaining a quantity of ice in juxtaposition to the 4load to supply sufllcient moisture, upon melting\to compensate for the tendency toward dehydration of the load.

With these and other objects in view, my invention embraces broadly the concept of cooling the perishable contents of a vehicle and at the same time supplying moisture in such quantities as to permit saturation of the air, on increase in tempertaure, without extraction of moisture from the produce. In carrying out the process, an apparatus is provided capable of injecting a large volume of chilled air into the ve- Y hicle and withdrawing warm air therefrom.

Preferably, the air is re-circulated and its temperature lowered by a refrigerating device located outside'the vehicle. hydration of the contents, my preferred form of invention contemplates the placing of a layer of crushed ice upon the top of the load, and aspirating water into the blast of air after the air has passed through the refrigerating device and before it has reached the perishable contents. This enables the air to absorb moisture as it rises in temperature without dehydrating the contents of the enclosure. While I prefer to use both the ice and asp-irated water, my invention does comprehend the use of either the ice or the water alone.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top view of a loaded railroad car with a portion of the roof broken away and showing a conditioning unit in operative position at the side of the car and a layer of crushed ice upon the top of the load.

Figure 2- is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows. This gure, as well as Figure 1, does not disclose theuse of a spray of water in addition to the layer of ice.

Figure 3 is a transverse, sectional view of a loaded car, showing both the top layer of ice and also a waterspray located in the air inlet.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view, in longitudinal vertiial section, of the center of the car showing a modified position for the spray.

For purposes of illustration, I will describe this l invention as related to vegetables stored in a ing by directing a stream of chilled air through railroad car of the refrigerator type. However, it is apparent that this invention may be used in connection with any type of railroad car or any chamber suitable for storing perishable materials. y

As shown in the drawings, the freight car, generally designated by the numeral l, is of the refrigerator type and is provided with a storage In order to minimize dechamber 2 and ice bunkers 3. 'I'he bunker walls 4 may be of solid construction and provided with an upper opening 5 and a lower opening 6. A raised licor 'I may be provided for the storage chamber 2 and also raised racks 8 positioned in the ice bunkers 3. The car is of course provided with a roof 9.

As best shown in Figure 3, the lading II- consists of any suitable type of hampers, such as lugs or crates, which have previously been filled with the desired produce such as, for instance, peas, lettuce, cauliflower, spinach, celery, carrots, or other leafy vegetables. When the car is being loaded, the hampers are preferably placed in rows which are spaced to provide air passages, such as shown at I2.

After the hampers have been stored in the car, a cover I3, which is preferably flexible and airimpervious, is placed over the top of the lading at the center of the car. This cover is of sulficient width to extend from side to side of the car, and its length may be varied within relatively Wide limits. In the drawings, it is shown as extending lengthwise only a slight distance beyond the doorway I5 of the car.

The car is of course equipped with the usual pair of swinging doors I6. After the car has been loaded, the doors I6 are opened and a false door I'I is inserted in the doorway I5. As best shown in Figure 3, the false door II is provided with an upper aperture I8 and a lower aperture I9 into which are inserted extensible tubes or sleeves and 2|, respectively. After the tubes have been inserted into the apertures I8 and I9, an edge of the cover I3 is positioned within the aperture I8 as shown at 22.

The opposite extremities of the extensible tubes 20 and 2! are mounted on ducts 23 and 24, respectively. These ducts form a. part of a refrigerating unit, generally designated by the numeral 25, which may be mounted on a truck 26.

VThis refrigerating unit may be of any suitable type, such as a unit containing a coil, a compressor, and a fan for circulating air.

In operation, a circulation of air is maintained by the fan mounted in the conditioning unit 25, and air is withdrawn from the car through the lower aperture I9 in the false door I'I into the extensible tube 2|. From the tube 2I it enters 'the duct 24 and then traverses the cooling coils of the refrigerating unit, Where it is reduced to the desired temperature, After cooling, the air is forced by the fan out through the duct 23, extensible tube 2|), and the aperture I8 in the false door I'I into the interior of the car.

At this point the air separates and travels outwardly towards` the opposite ends of the car and downwardly` into the lading, where it passes through the longitudinal channels I2 back to the center of the car, and thence out through the lower opening I9 inthe false door I1, there to repeat the cycle above described. The airis prevented from short-circuiting from the upper opening I8 to the lower opening I9 by the cover To prevent dehydration of the lading of the car, it is necessary, for the reasons previously is supplied by merely providing a layer of ice 30 on top of the lading, this ice of course being added before the cover I3 is placed in position. f

The melting of this ice, under certain conditions,

toward dehydration.

will supply sufllcient moisture during the chilling process to prevent dehydration of the load.

In the preferred form of my invention, instead of relying solely on ice to supply the moisture needed to prevent dehydration, the use of ice is supplemented by aspirating water into the.-air stream at any point on the pressure side between the cooling coils and the lading of the car. For example, in Figure 3 is disclosed a nozzle 3I which is mounted within the duct 23. This'nozzle 3| is mounted on a pipe 32 which is provided with a valve 33. The pipe 32 is connected to any suitable source of water. -By means of this construction, a controlled quantity of water can be aspirated in a ne spray into the airstream after it has passed the cooling coils. This supplies the moisture needed as the temperature of the air rises.

In the form of my invention shown in Figure 4, the water is sprayed directly into'the car rather than into the duct 23. A header pipe 35 is shown `which is mounted within the car at a point above readily inserted in position or removed from the car.

While I have shown in Figures 3 and 4 the use of a spray in conjunction with a layer of ice upon the top of a load, it is to be understood that under certain circumstances the ice may be omitted and the necessary moisture secured solely from the Water spray. y 'I'he actual operation of this invention is believed to be obvious from the foregoing. The commodities are loaded in the car in the conventional manner, and there is then distributed upon the top of the load a layer of crushed ice. Over the center of the load and the superimposed layer of ice, there is placed the cover I3. If an arrangement such as set forth in Figure 4 is used, the pipe 35 isl suspended from the roof of the car as shown.

The false door I'I is then placed in the doorway, and the refrigerating unit is connected to this door by means of the tubes or sleeves 20 and 2I. The circulation of the air is as"1 previously described. If the spray as shown in Figure 3 is employed, it will be noted that the air will pick up the aspirated water'in duct 23 and will carry it in the airstream into the interior of the car and its load. If the spray of Figure 4 is used, the air obviously will not pick up such moisture until it has already entered the car.

As the ice 30 melts, the liqueed water will fall through and upon the load and a portion, at least, will be picked up by the air. Of course if the sprays are not used, this melted ice will be the sole means of compensating for the tendency Likewise,` if the layer of ice is omitted, the sole moisture supplied will be by means of the sprays shown in Figure 3 or 4.

While for purposes of illustration I have described several embodiments that my invention might take, it is to be understood that this invention is of broader scope and embraces broadly the concept of providing moisture to prevent dehydration of a load during a precooling process. For this reason, my invention is to be limited solely by the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

` I claim: n

l. The method of refrigerating perishable articles housed in a storage space in a. vehicle, comprising arranging a layer of ice upon the articles,

`forcing refrigerated air into the enclosure for cir-` cuiation through the ice and against the articles, and supplying moisture to said air lbefore it reaches the ice.

2. A method of conditioning the load of a freight car comprising arranging a layer `of ice upon the top load, conditioning the air exteriorly of the car, introducing the conditioned air to the center of the car and through one side thereof, and above the top of the load, supplying moisture tosaid air after it is conditioned but prior to its entrance into thevioad, confining the iiow of such introduced air to prevent it from passing into the top of the load adjacent the center of the car and passing the air through the layer of ice adjacent the ends of the car and thence through the load to its point of withdrawal from the car.

3. A method of conditioning the load ofA a freight car comprising arranging a layer of ice upon the top of the load, covering a portion of the -top of the ice layer with a substantially air impervious member extending a substantial length of the car. withdrawing air from the car from below said impervious member and in the center of the car, conditioning the air exteriorly of the car, spraying moisture into the conditioned air, introducing the moisture laden, conditioned air into the car above said impervious member, and directing end of the car and thence through the load to the point of air withdrawal.

4. A method of conditioning a load in a freight car comprising arranging a layer of ice upon the top of the load, withdrawing air from the car at the air toward one a point below the load level, conditioning the withdrawn air, spraying moisture into the conditioned air, introducing the moisture laden conditioned air into the load receiving space of the car at a pointabove the layer of iceand near the longitudinal center of the load, confining the airflow to a space above the ice layer to prevent it flow into the load through the top thereof substantially immediately below the point of introduction of the conditioned air, passing the conditioned moisture laden air into the load through the top of the ice layer at a region relatively remote from the point of introduction of the conditioned air, and then causing the air to iiow through the load to the point of withdrawal.

5. A method of conditioning the load of a freight car comprising arranging a layer of ice upon the top of the load, covering the layer of ice intermediate the ends of the car, and leaving a space between the top of the ice layer and the top of the car, withdrawing air from the center of the car at a point below the load level, conditioning the air exteriorly ofv the car, spraying moisture into the conditioned air, introducing the moisture laden conditioned air into the space above the load at the center of the car through one side of the latter, confining the air flow in said space above the ice layer to prevent air from passing directly from said space through the layer of ice into the top of the load adjacent the center of the car While passing the air through the layer of ice into the load adjacent the ends of the c ar, and then passing the -air through the load to the point of withdrawal of air from the car'.

FRANK J. REILLY. 

